Blog post by: Melissa Ignasiak
2012 has been a very big year for LinkedIn. With a continuously growing stock price, LinkedIn has experienced a website makeover, launched a new iPad app and now has over 187 million registered users. With this year coming to an end, LinkedIn added one more popular feature to its site. The new API program will now allow developers to build custom tools for social marketers to meet their goals.
Until the launch of the new app, the thousands of advertisers who have been using LinkedIn Ads platform have been managing their campaigns through a self-serve interface. This self-serve interface, a targeted advertising platform, allowed large and small advertisers to place text and image ads across the LinkedIn site. Users were able to control costs, pay per view or click, and could stop the campaign at any time. There were no real problems with this program, but advertisers were looking for more.
API (application programming interface) has been one of the most frequently requested features, and the launch of the new program will enable developers to build custom tools and solutions to help social marketers meet their goals. With such a wide variety of variables to take into consideration when launching a marketing campaign, the new API will make the ad testing processes automated and much more manageable.
Creating this program shows how dedicated LinkedIn is to its users. Not only did they listen to what their users want be launching this program, but they also want to ensure that they are getting the most out of it. LinkedIn gave the following statement about the API:
“We’re also making premium support available for our approved developers who will have access to LinkedIn’s online operations and sales team, developer marketing programs, as well as a direct line of communication with our product management team.”
LinkedIn makes a majority of its revenue from the recruitment-based products, but the offering of the new API will not only help those using it, but LinkedIn as well. In the third period of this year, LinkedIn’s marketing solutions products represented 25% of its total revenue. The introduction of the API will prove to be a great way for LinkedIn to start the New Year in 2013.
Sources:
https://developer.linkedin.com/blog/linkedin-ads-unveils-new-api-program
http://www.businessinsider.com/interview-with-deep-nishar-of-linkedin-2012-12
http://marketing.linkedin.com/video-on-linkedin-ads
http://marketingland.com/linkedin-opens-up-ad-interface-with-new-api-program-27395
http://www.cbronline.com/news/linkedin-launches-new-api-programme-for-ads-031212
